Stocking Stuffer Candy Recipes

Kids young and old eagerly anticipate what kind of sweet treats they will find in their Christmas stockings. Delight good little boys and girls this year by whipping up homemade candy to tuck into their stockings.

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Honeycomb Brittle

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This honey-sweetened brittle gets its airy texture from the addition of baking soda at the end of cooking. Package it in a cellophane bag sealed with an adorable fold-over "Season's Eatings" gift label.

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Peppermint Fudge

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Marshmallows, cream, and semisweet chocolate chips are all you need to create smooth, perfect fudge every time. Stir in crushed peppermint candies and decorate the top of each square with half a peppermint for the finishing touch.

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Pecan Sea-Salt Drops

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Chopped pecans are suspended in caramel and sprinkled with sea salt flakes. Package these praline-like candies in kraft ballotin boxes, and adhere a clip-art gift label with a message of sweet tidings for the recipient.

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Gingerbread Caramels

Sang An

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Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and molasses bring the warm flavors of gingerbread to these rich caramels. Follow our easy instructions to create colorful paper cones for wrapping the caramels into small packages perfect for stuffing into Christmas stockings.

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Easy Chocolate Fudge with Pretzels

Condensed milk gives this fudge its smooth richness, while pretzels add crunch and a touch of salt. Feel free to use trail mix, your favorite chopped candy, or crushed cookies in place of pretzels.Get the Easy Chocolate Fudge with Pretzels Recipe

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Chocolate-Hazelnut Toffee

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A smooth layer of bittersweet chocolate and chopped hazelnuts adds flair to this easy-to-make toffee. Feel free to use any nuts in place of the hazelnuts. To give as a gift, adhere chocolate and hazelnut flavor stamps to a button-closure envelope for a package that's sure to delight your recipient.

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Peanut Brittle

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This classic is a favorite among kids and adults alike and is great for holiday gift-giving. Package in cellophane bags or decorative tins for a pretty presentation.

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Easy Peanut Butter Cups

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Creamy peanut butter and white chocolate are melted together to create the smooth filling for these easy chocolate-peanut butter cups. Choose from semisweet or bittersweet chocolate for the outer shell of the candies.

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Bark Bars

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Melted bittersweet, milk, or white chocolate in parchment-lined loaf pans presents many delicious topping possibilities. Try one of our bark variations below or experiment with your own favorite flavors.Movie Theater Bark

Cherry and Orange Peel Bark

Peppermint Bark

Lime and Macadamia Nut Bark

Pistachio, Dried Cranberry, and Toasted-Coconut Bark

Cookies-and-Cream Bark

Crackly Two-Tone Bark

Peanut Butter Swirl Bark

Chocolate-Almond Wood-Grain Bark

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Candy-Cane Marshmallows

Lisa Hubbard

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These pretty red-and-white swirled peppermint marshmallows are the perfect way to top off a Christmas stocking. If you like, nestle the package of marshmallows inside a mug with a few envelopes of hot cocoa mix.

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Nonpareils Candies

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Drops of bittersweet chocolate are decorated with candy sprinkles. Choose from either all-white sprinkles, as pictured here, or use a mixture of Christmas colors, such as red and white, red and green, or green and gold. This old-fashioned chocolate candy is a favorite with kids.

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Basic Brittle

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Peanut brittle is just the beginning! Use our basic brittle recipe as a jumping-off point to create delightful variations on the classic:Lemon and Almond Brittle

Pine Nut and Rosemary Brittle

Cashew and Cayenne Brittle

Pepita and Lavender Brittle

Coconut and Spice Brittle

Espresso and Walnut Brittle

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Chocolate-Dipped Caramallows

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Buttery caramel layers surround fluffy marshmallow filling, all tucked inside a coating of tempered bittersweet chocolate. Follow our easy instructions for packaging these candies as stocking stuffers or gifts.

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Peppermint Bark

Joseph De Leo

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White chocolate, peppermint oil, and a dozen candy canes are all you need to create this easy, colorful Christmas bark. Spread the bark into small molds to package as individual stocking stuffers, or break into chunks and package in a cellophane bag tied with a ribbon.

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Pecan Clusters

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Caramel flavored with vanilla and dark rum coats toasted pecan halves. A layer of bittersweet chocolate coating the bottoms of the clusters provides the perfect balance to the sweetness of the caramel in this candy that will delight the grown-ups on your "nice" list.

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Peppermint Icicles

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Half of a batch of peppermint candy is dyed icy blue and half left white, then the two colors are twisted together and allowed to harden into icicle-shaped candy sticks. The recipe includes step-by-step photos and instructions for creating this fun Christmas stocking stuffer.

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Deep Dark Chocolate Caramels

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These little candies burst with rich caramel and bittersweet chocolate flavors. This recipe makes 150 chocolate caramels, enough to stuff stockings for the whole family.

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Chocolate-Orange Hazelnut Bark

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In only 15 minutes you can whip up a batch of homemade chocolate bark swirled with hazelnuts and orange zest, and sprinkled with sea salt. Vary the type of nuts to suit your tastes, and add dried cranberries or cherries if you like.

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Foolproof Holiday Fudge

Sang An

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To make this easy chocolate fudge, marshmallows are melted with cream and butter to form a smooth base, and then semisweet or white chocolate chips are stirred in. Cut the fudge into squares or create fun shapes using cookie cutters. Top with toasted nuts or crushed peppermint candies.

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Momma Reiner's Chocolate-Covered Marshmallows

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Fluffy homemade marshmallows are cut into squares and coated in a layer of fudge made from semisweet chocolate, evaporated milk, butter, sugar, and homemade marshmallow cream. These heavenly chocolate-covered marshmallows will be a big hit with kids and adults alike.

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Peppermint Sticks

Sang An

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Peppermint candy is dyed pink and twisted into fanciful twig shapes before it hardens. The peppermint sticks are dipped partway in melted bittersweet chocolate for a decorative finish. These can be used as stirring sticks for hot cocoa or enjoyed on their own.

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Chocolate Fudge

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Get out your candy thermometer to make this traditional walnut fudge recipe. Use narrow satin ribbon to tie up each square of fudge like a tiny gift.

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Chocolate-Nut Patties

VICTOR SCHRAGER

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Arrange your choice of chopped nuts in small pools of melted chocolate to create simple, sophisticated candies for stuffing Christmas stockings. This recipe gives instructions for tempering chocolate, a process of heating, partially cooling, and reheating that aligns the chocolate crystals so that the finished product is firm and shiny.

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Golden Caramels

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Sweetened condensed milk, butter, cream, and corn syrup create rich, glossy caramels. Wrap the caramels in waxed paper or buy decorative wrappers at a cake- and candy-decorating supply store.

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Chocolate-Covered Almonds

VICTOR SCHRAGER

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Cinnamon syrup lightly coats whole almonds before they're dipped in melted chocolate. Half the chocolate-covered almonds are dusted in confectioners' sugar and half in cocoa powder, to create contrasting colors.

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Lemony Almond Nougat

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Lemon zest, almonds, and honey add their gentle flavors to this chewy nougat. For gift-giving, follow our packaging how-to.

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Chocolate-Pistachio Brittle

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This rich brittle is packed with toasted pistachios. Melted semisweet chocolate is spread over both sides of the brittle, and a layer of praline dust and chopped pistachios adds a sweet, crunchy finish.

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Penuche Fudge

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Butter and brown sugar give rich butterscotch flavor to this fudge, and walnuts add crunch. The cooked fudge is beaten with an electric mixer to create its characteristic light texture.

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Winter Bark

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Swirls of bittersweet and white chocolate make a beautiful, easy holiday treat perfect for stuffing stockings. Salted peanuts are stirred into this chocolate bark; you may like to try cashews, pistachios, or dried cranberries as well.

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